Coming Home
by xXFanGirl23Xx
Summary: The Doctor had lost so much already... but the TARDIS has a little surprise for him.


**Title: Coming Home**

**Pairing: Jack x Doctor (Doctor Who)**

**Setting: After JE, before TND.**

**_Jack_**

It was just an average day. No deaths, no fights, no aliens at all. Not even his favorite alien of them all had shown up today. Jack sighed as he sat behind his desk, twirling a pen. It was too boring of a day. If only there were a sign of the Doctor or the TARDIS…

"Night Jack." Gwen said, popping her head in with a brief smile. "See you in the morning."

"Night Gwen." Jack replied, nodding to her as she left. He leaned back in his chair, sighing again. Today had been too uneventful and he needed a break from Torchwood and the daily share of paperwork. He grabbed his coat and turned off the lights as he passed, heading out the back way. He shrugged on the coat as he made his way outside, then took off on a long walk.

He walked his usual route through town, nodding to people he passed, when something caught his eye. A big blue box. But not just any big blue box, but a big blue police box. The police box was in an empty lot just a few blocks over, but a few blocks was nothing but a small sprint away for Jack.

He bound over and found the TARDIS was unlocked. _That's strange_. He thought. _The Doctor would never leave her unlocked…_ He shrugged as he pushed the door open to see the console was the same as always. The TARDIS gave a happy hum when he shut the door after stepping inside.

"Doctor?" Jack called out. No one responded. He called again, this time a little louder. Still, no one answered him. It was unlike the Doctor to leave the TARDIS unlocked when he wasn't around. Where was he? Jack explored the whole ship, not finding a single trace of the Doctor in any of the rooms. He finally made his way back to console room and sat in the captain's chair, propping his feet up on the console.

"Well, if you aren't here yet, I'll just wait for you to come back." Jack said, shrugging out of his coat and slinging it across the seat. The TARDIS gave a hum of approval, then locked the door again. Jack smirked slightly at the TARDIS. The clever thing apparently wanted him to be with her time lord. Jack leaned back, okay with her ideas, and waited patiently for the Doctor to come back.

**_Doctor_**

The Doctor had a lot of thinking to do and little pacing space in the console room. He just couldn't think straight anymore. He had to land.

_Theta?_ The TARDIS called to him telepathically.

"What now?" he said aloud. He had no companions anymore, so talking aloud to the TARDIS made it feel like he wasn't alone.

_You really should rest…_

"So what? I've gone on less sleep before." He said, trying to find a place in time and space that would give his mind a break.

_I wasn't talking about sleeping. You need to stop running around. Take a vacation from this…_

"Fine. One day off, then we're back up and running. Got it?" he said with a stern tone in his voice. The TARDIS hummed softly as she reset the coordinates and landed in Cardiff, right in the middle of an empty building lot. The Doctor sighed and grabbed his trench coat and made his way out. "I'll be back in a few hours." He told the ship before leaving and locking the doors.

And now he was free at last to wonder around, and this time, not looking for trouble. There was a time and place for that, and it wasn't here. Cardiff was the place the TARDIS knew he could be free of the trouble that the universe seemed to like to stir up just for him. He made his way around, looking at all the buildings and art along the way that he hadn't had time to take in before.

All in all, Cardiff was a pretty place. It wasn't overly crowded like London sometimes seemed to be. The people were different here it seemed. No one questioned the way he dressed. Some of the people would smile or nod as they passed by. He took his time and even stopped for chips, which he noted were pretty good and he'd come back the next time he was in town, but soon, it was time to return to the TARDIS. Night had fallen and it was time to face whatever else would come his way.

Finally, after another hour of walking, he made his way back to the TARDIS doors. He unlocked them quickly, stepping inside as it started to rain and leaned against them once he closed the door behind him. He sighed and closed his eyes. He missed Donna, and Martha, and Rose, and Sarah Jane. But most of all, he missed Jack, not that he'd ever admit to it. He stood there for what seemed like hours thinking about how he let Jack go back to his regular life and now regretted doing so.

Why was he so stupid to let him go, just like before? Then he remembered, before he had Rose. Then next time, he had had Martha. Last time, he thought he had Donna, only to lose her too. Now, he had no one. He wanted Jack. No one else, just Jack.

Again, he sighed, shrugging out of his partially wet coat and hung it over the coral as usual. He walked over towards the captain's chair and was startled to find Jack sitting there with his feet propped up on the console, sound asleep. Granted, it was almost midnight and any human would be beat by this time, but Jack? In the TARDIS? How?! He didn't even have a key! Then it hit him, like a frying pan in the face.

The TARDIS. She knew what her Doctor needed. He needed Jack. So, what was the one place Jack would be? Cardiff. She had intentionally led him here, back to Jack, and let Jack inside as a surprise for him. He sat on the floor with his head against the console, watching Jack sleep. He looked calm and peaceful, lounging there as he slept.

The Doctor held back the urge to run his fingers through Jack's hair and enter his mind, and sat perfectly still, looking at Jack. He sat there for hours when he had finally drifted off to sleep as well.

**_Jack_**

When morning had come, the Doctor was awake and ready for anything. He got up and saw Jack, who had been slowly waking up on his own, open his eyes and look up at him. Jack smiled brightly, jumping up and giving him a salute. The Doctor smiled back and gave a small, two finger salute back.

"Captain." The Doctor said with a happier tone than Jack had expected, seeing as he was sleeping in the Doctor's TARDIS all night.

"Doctor." He said, still smiling. The name seemed to bring him a happy, whole feeling as he spoke it, reminding him of the man he had been waiting for. The Doctor quickly embraced him, pulling back so his hands gripped Jack's upper arms and they looked into each other's eyes. Jack, in return, gripped the Doctor's forearms, smiling at the alien man standing in front of him.

"I thought I lost you again…" the Doctor started, tears forming in his eyes. Jack's smile softened to one of comfort. He pulled the Doctor back into an embrace, gently rocking him from side to side. He laid his head on the Doctor's shoulder and lightly stroked his back.

"Doctor, I learned something from you before. That is, people will always leave." He said softly, pulling away to look into the lonely time lord's eyes. Those brown eyes had always shown so much love before, but nowhere near as much as they did when Jack looked into them now. His heart raced slightly faster as he realized that the Doctor loved him, just as much as he loved the Doctor.

Jack started again, his voice softer than before. "People will always leave, Doctor." He said, putting his hands on either side of the Doctor's face. The Doctor leaned up, as if he knew what Jack was intending. Jack leaned down slightly, kissing his beautiful Doctor on the lips. He pulled back slowly to finish his statement.

"But sometimes, they come back." Jack continued, leaning back down for a deeper kiss. The Doctor hummed softly, wrapping his arms around Jack's neck. Jack pulled back once more, resting his forehead against the Doctor's.

"And every so often, they stay with you, forever." Jack said, his voice filled with love and gentleness. The Doctor smiled at Jack.

"I left you not once, not twice, but three times, Doctor. But now, I'm coming back… I'm coming home." Jack said softly. The Doctor smiled even brighter.

"Welcome home, my Captain. Welcome home."


End file.
